The atmosphere was charged with the scent of urgency as I left the hall. The pack was moving fast, and my mind was racing faster. Every detail had to be in place, every warrior ready. The weight of my mother's death hung over me like a dark cloud, but now there was fire beneath that weight. I had no intention of letting the rival pack have another victory. Not this time.
I was almost to the garden when I sensed two presences. One was too familiar, and the other—too unsettling. I didn't need to look over my shoulder to know who they were. Eldric Hale and Happing.
Eldric was my uncle, though I never once called him that. His cold demeanor had been present, even when I was a leader of the pack, he never fully let his guard down around me. He had the same sharp, calculating eyes, the same au
